Peterson Toscano's A Musing

Preying on Youth in St. Louis

This weekend in St. Louis, MO Focus on the Family held their anti-gay road show Love Won Out which specifically targets parents who have or fear that have queer chilren as well as church youth workers.

Colleen Keating, who atteneded a vigil outside the event, shares her thoughts.

Despite what Alan Chambers said about our vigil, I thought that we succeeded in being quite positive:

"Anonymous defamation from any party is offensive, but the public protest planned by the gay community is particularly disturbing," he said. "Contempt for those of us who have chosen to leave homosexuality behind is not an action consistent with the call for tolerance and diversity."

What Chambers doesn't seem to understand is that none of us have "contempt" for the attendees (at least no one I spoke with). We felt badly for the young kids in the backseats of SUVs, looking down guiltily as they saw us--were their parents taking them to the event in the hopes of a "cure"? I know I felt badly for the parents hoping for a cure, and blaming themselves.

Exgay Watch provides links, quotes and analysis here and here.

posted by Peterson Toscano @ 1:34 PM